Rubber footwear article



.my 13, me; www@ F. A. JOSEPH RUBBER FOOTWEAR -ART CLE Filed Jan. 25, 1921 hmmag Patented July 13, 1926.

UNlTED STATES PATENT orifice.

FRANK A. JOSEPH, 0F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB T0 L. CANDEE & COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT. l

RUBBER FOOTWEAR ARTIoLn.

Application led January 25, 1921. Serial No. 439,745.

This invention relates to a rubber footwear article, more particularly to that type of article known as a foothold, or slip-on.

For light use, particularly by ladies, a type of rubber overshoe has been developed in the trade which is known as foothold or slip-on, and which, instead of entirely covering the shoe, consists merely of a vamp portion and corresponding sole with a rearwardly extending elastic heel strap, the latter at its forward end having a downwardly extending portion adapted to engage the shank of the shoe. The heel strap is neces sai-ily made of a high grade elastic stock in order that it may closely hug the heel portion of a shoe and at the same time withstand the constant stretching to which it is subjected. Both the ordinary type of overshoe and foothold, as previously constructed, have been furnished with an outsole of a relatively inelastic rubber compound and within said outsole is disposed a filler of rag stock or of friction fabric, both of which are also relatively inelastic. Users of overshoes or footholds will usually attempt to use the same pair with shoes varying in shape and width. As a resultwhen an overshoe or foothold having the inelastic sole above described is ut on over a shoe which kis too wide, the thm upper is considerably stretched and quickly cuts or breaks at the point where it extends over the edge of the shoe sole. In certain types of overshoes such as the rolled edge the outsole is extended at its edge up over the upper, but even in the case of this type of shoe the upwardly extending portion is, of course, made of the same inelastic rubber compound as the outsole, and when stretched by bein put over a shoe that is too wide it quicly breaks under the strain.

In footholds as previously constructed the function of the shank portion is to engage the shank of the shoe to prevent the entrance of water or dirt, but-the footholds of the prior art are defective at .this point in many respects and fail to effectively keep out water. In many of them the shank engaging portion is not extended rearwardly far enough to provide a sufficient bearing surface against the shank of the shoe. In others the inelastic fabric insole or ller sole is extendedrearwardly on this shank en aging portion and prevents it from stretc ing to closely engage the shank of the shoe. In still others the heel strap is formed with free endsiwhich in manufacture are lapped at this point, thereby thickening the shank engaging portion, reducing its elasticity, and providing an uneven surface for gripping the shoe shank. In still others the outsole, which is formed separate from the shank engaging portion, and of a relatively inelastic rubber compound, as before stated, is lapped over on the shank engagingpportion, thereby reducing its elasticity.

An object of my invention is to provide a rubber footwear 'article capable of fitting shoes of different widths.

Another object is to provide an improved form of foothold.

Still another object is to provide a foothold which will tightly grip the shank of the shoe on which it is worn.

A further object is to reduce the labor, material and number of parts required in making a foothold.

For a complete disclosure of the invention reference is had to the accompanying specification and drawings, in which latter:

Fig. l is a side elevation of my improved foothold;

Fig. 2 is a vertlcal longitudinal section l lstockinet, and superposed on which is the rubber vamp or upper 2. The insole 3 is also formed of an elastic fabric, such as stockinet, instead of the usual woven fabric, and directly secured thereto is a relatively highly elastic outsole 4 of high-grade rubber, said outsole having integral therewlth the rear shank eng-aging portion 5 and the heel strap 6. The outsole 4, shank 5, and strap 6 are died out in asingle iece from the sheet stock. The portion 5 .1s inclined upwardly at a somewhat greater angle than the corresponding shank portion of the shoe for which it is designed. At the sides the shank engagin portion 5 is lapped over the rear edges of t e va'mp, as shown at 7. The edge of the elastic outsole 4 is extended u pwardly on the upper for a considerable y(11S- tance as shown at 8. The toe portion ofthe foothold is reenforced by 'a gum toe cap 9, and the upper edge of the vamp portion may be ornamented by the binding 10.

In' use, when the foothold is drawn on the shoe, the longitudinally extended shank engaging portion 5 will grip the shoe shank over a large zarea, and, dueto the elasticity of the stock used, the smooth surface and uniform thickness of the part 5, and its inclination upwardly at a greater angle than that of the shoe shank, it will tightly grip the latter and efectually preventthe enl trance of anyY water Yor dirt. Should the user wear the'foothoid on a shoe that is wider than that for which the foothold is intended, the elastic insole 3, outsole 4, and edge extension 8 will stretch'to accommodate the increased width, thereby relieving the upper or vamp of the excessive strain and stretching which it formerly had to bear exclusively. In addition the foothoid is very easily drawn over the shoe, due to the fact that its sole ortion and uptnrned edges are elastic as weil as the upper. Moreover, as the upward edge extension 8 is formed of the same high-grade elastic rub-ber as the outsole 4, it will readily stretch and bend outwardly without undue strain. Additional advantages are that by making the outsoie, upturned edge, shank engaging portion, and heel strap of a single piece of material there is a saving of labor in cutting and assembling the parts, and there is also a saving in the rubber stock formerly required when overlapping the outsole on the shank engaging portion.

While a specific embodiment of the in- Y vention has been shownand described, it is obvious that numerous changes may be niade therein without Vdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and certain Eof its features, such as the elastic sole and uptur'ned edge portion, are applicable to other forms of rubber footwear.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A foothold cbmprising an upper, an sole, and a one-piece, homogeneous outsole, shank and strap of the sane rubber stock, said shank being relatively extended longitudinally and incline-:l upwardly from the outsole at an angle greater than the shank of its corresponding shoe.

2. A foothold comprising an elastic vamp having an elastic f abric lining, an elastic fabric insole therefor, and a relatively highly elastic one-piece outsole, shank and strap of high-grade rubber, said outsole beine' disposed next tothe insole and extended upwardly on the vamp at its edge, and said shank being relatively extended longitudinally and inclined upwardly at an angle greater than the shank or' its corresponding shoe.

Signed at New Haven, Connecticut, this 17th day of January, 1921.

FRANK A. JOSEPH. 

